


A Gratuitously Gilded Yule

by Neon_Opal



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Attempt at Humor, Baking, Charms, Christmas Decorations, Christmas Fluff, Cookies, Humor, Interior Decorating, M/M, Memories, Presents, Romance, Silly, Spells & Enchantments, Stand Alone, WTF, Yule, cross-dressing, wordcount 1500
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-19
Updated: 2013-12-19
Packaged: 2018-01-05 00:07:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,456
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1087239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Neon_Opal/pseuds/Neon_Opal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>6 months after he got conned into getting Gilderoy Lockheart safely home from Draco's disasterious birthday party Severus Snape had found himself accidently in love and at the mercy of Gilderoys' new penchant for decorating and baking and outlandish clothing selections as they spend their first Yule together trying to make new memories.</p><p>A bit of holiday silliness for your (I hope) amusement- I kind of gave myself another one of those weird challanges again. It stands alone fine but the party that started it all is in the story "Put on Your Red Shoes" and there will be at least one more story of emediatley after it- it doesn't have seires name yet.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Gratuitously Gilded Yule

~*~

 

Severus walked into the house to find a blinding array of holiday decorations in various states of placement. The mantel was already overflowing with garlands and holly and fluttering gilded angels. In fact it seemed the whole thing was gilded by some sort of charm or glamor. Sparkly stars floated around the ceiling and bags and boxes of all sizes where scattered everywhere underfoot. He hardly knew where to step as he tried to walk back toward the kitchen.

“Gilderoy!” He shouted in exasperation. Damn that Lucius Malfoy for conning him into making sure this man got home safely after that dreadful birthday party of Dracos last summer. “Are you back there?” he called getting his foot tangled in a lose garland on the floor. However, it did smell phenomenally good in here he realized as he untangled himself, gingerbread and oatmeal cookies. Severus had learned very quickly the “new” Gildaroy had a fondness for baking and home making; maybe it’s why he had kept him around at first.

“I’m back here dear heart.” Severus heard him call. He did still hate that part. He didn’t think he’d ever get used to his new lovers silly endearments.

“What have you done to the parlor? I can hardly move in there.”

“Don’t be such a Grinch. It will soon be sorted and I promise you’ll love it.”

“No, I will not love it!” Severus grumbled, “But, I will love the cookies so I’ll obviously have to put up with the rest of it.” He said rolling his dark eyes.

Gilderoy was taking another tray of cookies from the oven so as he turned Severus got a full view of his outfit. Oh great Merlin help him. Gildaroy was dressed like a Swiss Miss Maid in Christmas colors or something; last nights’ outfit had been the sugar plum fairy. He was very uncertain he could put up with this excessive Yule nonsense even in exchange for the best cookies and the best sex he had ever had. He had to suppress a giggle, but that was something else. This man made him laugh. Him, the severe straight faced Professor Severus Snape, laughed now and quite often. He sometimes wondered if the other man sometimes wore the silly outfits just for that reason. Halloween had been a fright of a new sort this year.

“Come now honey bunches. It’s our first Yule together I wanted it to be special. I know you didn’t do a lot of this sort of thing when young and I can’t remember if I did. Last year I couldn’t leave St. Mungo’s at all yet, not till after the New Year was I recovered enough to go out.”

Well he sort of understood that, thought Severus sneaking an oatmeal cookie of the cooling rack on the worktop and taking a bite. It was still warm and tasted like food of the gods. Gildaroys' recovery had been much quicker after the party. The healers encouraged it. They didn’t seem capable of restoring any old memories beyond particle things some of which hadn’t been forgotten to start with but he had been doing much better at acquiring new skills and retaining the new memories. He was still just as flamboyant as he ever was before and had developed the new penchant for cross-dressing.

“I will try to preserve muffin head.” That was as close to as silly endearment as Severus would use and his new love did make fantastic muffins. He was going to get as fat as Harry’s Uncle Vernon. Which is not to say he had not come to whole heartedly adore this man and dare he say it; even love him. Maybe it was because Gildaroy always seemed so happy to have his friendship, pleased to have company and companionship, even his. And affection. Severus had never received such affection from anyone after Lilly. He started to get wistful and quickly took another big bite of cookie to stem the negative nostalgia from overtaking him.

“Here I bought you an early gift Severus snookums.” Said Gilderoy in excitement handing him a box wrapped in gold foil that had been hidden under the table which Severus now realized was covered in a silver glided snow flake table cloth and arrangement of evergreen boughs and pine cones in the center and a magical arrangement of snowflakes falling around it. Wizards were very good with holiday decorations he conceded. “Sit down and open it.” He told him as anxious as a child on Christmas morning.

“Ok but I haven’t gotten you anything yet and I may be dreadful at it. I’ve never really had anyone to get presents for.” He settled into a chair and Gildaroy gave him a hug and a kiss now the baking was out of the oven. He smelled deliciously of cinnamon and vanilla.

“Well Hermione and Luna helped me chose this, they took me to some amazing shops, even muggle ones.”

Oh no! Severus inwardly cringed the two young women had proved unexpected allies after the party debacle, Luna perhaps because of her part in it and Hermione because she somehow felt responsible for each man ending up with one of her red shoes, which she had slipped of since they were pinching her toes. He was still a little skeptical of her involvement now as she had also been there when Gilderoy had let her and Harry and Ron down badly but maybe she felt he had paid enough already. Severus was, however, keeping a close watch on it. The two girls often took Gilderoy shopping or to a library, he loved to shop and Hermione loved knowledge and he still had some left to share. There were odd random pieces he seemed to know fully and she had some to teach. He also thought of those strange new friendships as he pulled off the wrapping. He looked up at his lover before opening the lid. The golden haired man was beaming at him hair pulled back in a starry headband. He was lovely to look at and kind for all the silliness that replaced his former arrogance and the look was so enchanting. He still wondered…

“Hurry up!” said Gilderoy impatiently.

Severus opened the lid and pulled out the most atrocious Christmas jumper ever. It was black with green trees and wreaths and silver squiggles which were enchanted to move slightly. On closer examination those proved to be snakes. “Oh, I don’t know what to say. I’ve never had a present like it, sweetness,” the only other affectionate term he could manage.

“See, the black with the green trees and silvery tinselly snakes as garland for your house of Slytherin!”

“It’s very creative.” He said smiling and he knew he would have to put the damn thing on and started to laugh as he slipped it over his head. “Gilderoy please don’t make me wear this in public or people will notice how seriously you have cracked my shell and I’ll lose my reputation entirely by laughing too much, then I’ll be the one in St. Mungo’s.” He leaned over and they had another quick hug and kiss. How could he not love this man who thought to buy him ridicules presents?

“Now for the cracker.”

“There is a cracker?”

“In the bottom somewhere... dig around in the tissue paper.” He instructed. "I had it created special.”

Severus pulled it out. It looked like the usual holiday sort, through of the extra fancy type. All in gilded metallic foil.

“Um…Gilderoy, where did you get it? Who made it?” He questioned skeptically.

“The twins of course, at Weasley’s Wizardring Wheeses!”

Oh no, oh no, no, no! The other two responsible for this mess! They had created the exploding fireworks cake and Luna had charmed it. He was afraid what would happen when the pulled it. They might end up naked in a fountain in muggle London.

“Is it safe?” Severus questioned even more skeptically.

“Quite, I promise. Please pull it with me?” Gilderoy pleaded gazing at him with forget-me-not blue eyes.

Severus took one end and Gildaroy the other and the pulled. The usual sort of wizarding expulsions occurred with whizzing red and green sparklers and gold shimmers and silver snowflakes floating and hovering around the room. Then a banner unfurled from a conflagration of sparks that read, 

“Happy first Yule together, I love you!”

…before it slowly dissolved and the entire illusion faced except a few bits of confetti and glitter that were real and landed on their hair and faces.  
Severus felt himself holding back a tear. No one had done anything so sweet for him ever. Maybe that party was not as cursed as he though.

 

~*~


End file.
